Just back: 12/12 Wind Star in Costa Rica

[Scottsdale Guys]

We are just back from the 12/12 sailing onboard the Wind Star in Costa Rica. It was a fantastic trip; great weather, great food, great service, wonderful crew.

 

This was my hallmark 50th cruise and second on the Windstar line. Windstar is a great relief after all the big ship cruises. Embarkation is easy, there is a max of 148 passengers on the ship (119 on our voyage). By the time you finish checking in you have already met the majority of the crew and they know your name. What can be better.

 

The cabin was in perfect shape upon our arrival. The bed is comfortable, the sheets great, the shower fantastic (amazing water pressure).

 

The food was always spot on. The chef had some very creative and tasty appetizers. The main course was always served hot and cooked to the ordered temperature. Deserts were decadent as usual on a cruise. The sugar free suggestions had as much taste and appeal as the regular.

 

The crew was friendly and always there when you needed anything. I had one waiter recognize me and acknowledge me by name after meeting me a year ago on the sister Windstar ship. You get good service because the crew likes their jobs and it shows!

 

Windstar has a great open bridge policy when not in port. The Captain, Chief Officer and all the bridge staff were great purveyors of information about the ship, the waters and the country. The details you could never get on a larger ship. Carlos, the naturalist onboard, is an invaluable resource on the flora and fauna in Costa Rica. He gave a great port talk on all the ports and was always there at the gangway or on the beach in each port for those trivial questions.

 

The ship is in great condition. The uniqueness of the Windstar ships are to be appreciated. When the sails are unfurled the grandeur of the ship is amazing. We sailed for long hours under sail alone. It is a fantastic feeling to have a 440 foot ship moving with the quietness of the breeze.

 

Always a question in the Costa Rica threads is how do we get from the airport to the port. Brothers, Diego and Alvaro, who own Odyssey Tours made the trip even better with flawless transfers from San Jose to Caldera and then back from Caldera to San Jose after the cruise. I contacted them a month or so before the cruise via e-mail. They always responded promptly to all my e-mails. They were waiting for us at the airport with a sign in hand and again at the port after the cruise. They helped us even more by stopping in route at a local Costa Rican 'Walmart' to buy supplies. Their English is great and their service great!! Highly recommended!

 

This Costa Rican itinerary is unlike any other voyage. You get to experience this beautiful country and see places that are inaccessable by road.

[OSU grad]

Thanks for your report on the Windstar. We're doing this same cruise January 9th, our third on the Windstar line. Glad to hear everything went well. We are using Diego and Alvaro also for transportation to and from the airport. Did you do any of the excursions? We are doing the float trip and are wait listed for the Curu Wildlife Refuge.

[Scottsdale Guys]

We only did one shore excursion to Cocavado park. I heard from other passangers that the float trip was good. We walked the Curu reserve ourselves and did not do the tour. The people on the tour saw exactly the same animals that we saw. You be the judge.

[ShirleyZ]

Hi Scottsdale guys, We made it home safely, unimpeded by the nasty weather. Did it work out well for you? I agree with all your positive comments. We had a wonderful time also.I would like to add some comments to your review about this cruise. We were surprised to find the sports program crew, April and Craig, were Dive masters and ran some very convenient dives off the ship. We dove with them at Playa Coco and Curu. They also had contracted a very nice 2 tank dive in Bahia Drake. We had already made our own independent arrangements in Manual Antonio and so did not dive Bahia Drake. Check out or call Windstar if you are divers, there may be more available than what appears on the excursion site. Diving is not fantastic on the Pacific coast, but we did see some wonderful rays, Manta rays were sighted too! April and Craig were very helpful and there were at least 2 times when we all could swim and play off the sports deck.I agree Curu is an easy hike on your own. I wasnt impressed with the Corcovado hike. Taking 3 groups along the same path insured the wildlife was absent. We did see Scarlet Macaws at the beach(not on hike) and the waterfall pool was refreshing! I think others arranged a smaller group tour thru a local hotel and saw much more than we did. Not sure of the facts or logistics of that. If you are a bit adventurous, there are 4 wheel ATVs for rent in San Juan del Sur. Just follow the main street along the beach. We drove to the nearest beaches etc. easily. Too windy for a beach day. Some passengers hiked to the gigantic Christos statue. A very steep hike, but reports said the view was great.Others took a cab to lake Nicaragua $20. Just looked at the lake and volcanoes in distance. We spent a few hours at the Pelican Eyes resort. Lovely infinity pool and views. We identified ourselves as Windstar passengers, purchased drinks and that seem to be sufficient for the owners to let us use the facility. We used US dollars in all ports, even the local grocery stores had a cash register conversion. Costa Rica is very easy for tourists. We also had Odyssey Tours pick us up at the airport. So nice to see that sign with your name on it after a long flight. I also found the naturalist, Carlos, personable and informative. I wish he had led our hike in Corcovado. I loved this cruise, relaxing, no glitches and every effort was made to keep us comfortable.

[Scottsdale Guys]

ShirleyZ,

You filled in the gaps perfectly. I agree with all you said. Overall a wonderful, relaxing cruise.

[Drummond Creek]

how long is the trip from the airport to the port?

[Scottsdale Guys]

The trip time depends on the traffic. It can take anywhere from 1.5 hours to 2 hours.